New partnership aims to address veterinary burnout

Photo: Seventyfour/Adobe Stock

The Veterinary Cooperative (TVC), a group purchasing organization for independent veterinary practices, has developed a new strategic partnership with Hound, a veterinary staffing, retention, and employee engagement technology company. The partnership looks to address the prevalent issues of burnout, employee retention, and staffing shortages, which are impacting veterinary practices across the country. In the partnership, TVC members gain access to Hound’s full suite of services, along with priority access, discounted rates, and personalized onboarding for engagement tools.¹

“Our partnership with Hound couldn’t come at a better time,” Kim London, director of strategic partnerships at TVC, said in a news release.¹ “As independent veterinary practices struggle with burnout and high turnover rates, Hound offers a lifeline by providing access to a vast network of relief professionals and an industry-leading employee recognition app. We’re excited to bring these critical resources to our members, helping them maintain thriving, well-supported teams.”

The issue of burnout in the veterinary profession has seen rapid growth in recent years. According to Merck Animal Health’s most recent Veterinary Wellbeing Study, conducted in the fall of 2023, veterinarians experience similar levels of burnout as the general population, but higher levels of exhaustion.² Additionally, roughly 1 in 3 veterinary professionals have considered leaving the field, attributing the thoughts to burnout and poor mental health.³

“Burnout is a complex issue, but it’s one we believe can be tackled with the right tools and support,” Andrew Luna, CEO of Hound, said in the release.¹ “Through our partnership with TVC, we’re committed to empowering independent veterinary practices with the resources they need to create supportive work environments where their teams can thrive, both personally and professionally.”

Hound’s network consists of more than 20,000 registered professionals—both those seeking full-time jobs and those looking for relief opportunities.¹ Their Relief Rover platform provides practices with easy, on-demand access to relief professionals, alleviating some pressure from full-time staff members. Minimizing burnout in this way helps practices to maintain higher standards of patient care, even during staffing shortages.⁴

Practices and professionals can use Hound’s Scout platform, meant for permanent hires, to create free profiles, filter and search for the ideal match, and connect with other professionals through the app when there is a good fit. Hound’s employee engagement app, Rally, helps keep teams engaged with recognition, rewards, feedback, and more. And with Hound Connect, a service free for all veterinarians and credentialed technicians, users can meet with a career success advocate to discuss their goals before Hound finds matching employers and pre-negotiates offers.⁴

References

1. The Veterinary Cooperative (TVC) Announces Strategic Partnership with Hound to Address Critical Staffing and Burnout Challenges Among Independently Owned Practices. News release. The Veterinary Cooperative. August 21, 2024. Accessed August 26, 2024. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240821740239/en/The-Veterinary-Cooperative-TVC-Announces-Strategic-Partnership-with-Hound-to-Address-Critical-Staffing-and-Burnout-Challenges-Among-Independently-Owned-Practices
2. Merck Animal Health 2023 Veterinary Wellbeing Study. Merck Animal Health. January 2024. Accessed August 26, 2024. https://www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/about-us/veterinary-wellbeing-and-scholarships
3. Bain B., Ouedraogo F., Hansen C., Radich R. 2022 AVMA Report on the Economic State of the Veterinary Profession. American Veterinary Medical Association. 2022. Accessed August 26, 2024.
4. Modernizing work for the people of vet med. Hound. Accessed August 26, 2024. https://www.hound.vet/